Piepoli triumphs as Evans takes yellow

(CNN) -- Saunier Duval's Leonardo Piepoli won the 10th stage of the Tour de France as Australia's Cadel Evans took over the race leader's yellow jersey in a dramatic finale on the cruel slopes of the Hautacam on Monday.

The 14 kilometer climb came hard on the heels of the ascent of the famous Col de Tourmalet and previous race leader Kim Kirchen of the Columbia team was quickly distanced by the mountain specialists.

The climb also saw the end of the challenge for overall honors of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, the Caisse d'Epargne star cutting a forlorn figure as he slipped off the pace having already struggled on the Tourmalet.

Lampre's Damiano Cunego finished just ahead of Valverde, nearly six minutes down to see his hopes dashed.

Evans, showing no ill effects from his nasty crash of the previous day, has just one second to spare over Luxembourg's Franck Schleck with Christian Vandevelde of the United States in third spot at 38 seconds.

"I thought my Tour was finished yesterday," said Evans, speaking in French on television before he donned yellow.

"Like the others who took the yellow jersey on the Hautacam, I hope I can continue in it," an emotional Evans added.

In fourth place overall is Austrian Bernard Kohl of Gersolsteiner, with Spaniard Carlos Sastre -- the CSC team leader -- in fourth place at one minute 28 seconds down.

Luxembourg's Kirchen, who battled hard to limit his losss, slipped to seventh place, nearly two minutes down.

Schleck had forged clear in a breakaway group with Saunier Duval pair Juan Jose Cobo of Spain and veteran Italian climber Piepoli, but was distanced towards the finish.

Saunier Duval team leader Riccardo Ricco, who won the first stage in the Pyrenees on Sunday, had predicted a Piepoli victory and the team were as good as his word with Cobo not contesting the finish.

CSC star Schleck bravely held his deficit to just 28 seconds, but was cruelly robbed of yellow as Evans came home in an elite group containing Ricco and Vandevelde at two minutes 17 seconds down.

The dangerous Ricco has moved up to ninth overall, two minutes and 29 seconds behind Evans, who finished runner-up to Alberto Contador in last year's Tour de France.

Contador, who won this year's Giro d'Italia ahead of Ricco, was not able to defend his title because his Astana team was excluded for past doping misdemeanors before he joined the squad.

Tuesday is a welcome rest day for the riders as they face up to the most open and unpredictable Tour de France in many years.